JetBlue offers six branded snack options, but plays up Terra Blues Potato Chips as its official snack for the sake of color coordination. The airline estimates it hands out 650,000 bags of Blue Chips per month, which adds up to almost 8 million bags per year.

Of course, the brand loyalty that the free snacks bring comes at a cost to the airline. We did a few quick calculations to figure out just what that cost might be.

We estimate that the wholesale cost of a one-ounce bag of Terra Blues Potato Chips costs $0.80 per bag. At this cost, although we expect JetBlue plays less, the free chips would be costly the airline approximately $520,000 per month and $6.4 million per year.

In 2013, that cost represents 1.5 percent of their $428 million operating income and, in 2012, it represents 1.7 percent of their $376 million operating income.

The cost for providing free snacks onboard all flights is not insignificant, especially in a time when most airlines are looking for ways to cut costs to increase profits. The cost; however, has set JetBlue apart from its U.S competition.

In comparison, Southwest Airlines has long offered free peanuts and pretzels and, on October 1, introduced 100 Calorie Lorna Doone and Ritz Snack Mix. Delta Air Lines offers several free snack bags on flights between 250 and 900 miles.